Yesterday, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November was 6% compared to the revised rate of 6.4 % in October. Statewide, 608,000 were employed and 38,450 unemployed in November for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 646,450. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2% in November, down from 4.6% in October.
The unemployment rate figures for the State of Hawaiʻi and the U.S. are seasonally adjusted in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology. The not seasonally adjusted rate for the State was 5.4 percent in November, compared to the revised rate of 5.9% in October.
In another measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs increased by 600 over-the-month. Job gains occurred in Leisure & Hospitality (+1,200); Education & Health Services (+300); Professional & Business Services (+200); and Manufacturing (+100). The bulk of the rise in Leisure & Hospitality was in Accommodation. Employment remained unchanged in Trade, Transportation, & Utilities. Job losses were experienced in Information (-100); Construction (- 300); Financial Activities (-300); and Other Services (-400). Government employment dipped by 100 jobs. Over-the-year (November 2020 was the 8th month of pandemic effects), non farm jobs have gone up by 44,800, or 8.4%. However, in comparison with March 2020 (last month prior to pandemic effects), non farm jobs were down by 77,700, or -11.9%.
